TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: When the previous Congress government came out with the Goa Waste (scrap) Re-cycling scheme, 2010, many a Sarpanch from Salcete had sounded sceptical about the success of the scheme.
The sarpanchas feared that the scheme would only bestow legitimacy upon the existing scrap yards in the cities, towns and villages on ground the government’s proposal to shift or relocate the yards to the proposed trade zones would never materialise.
Three years down the line and their fears were certainly not unfounded as illegal scrap yards continue to operate and do brisk business at the same location for want of the trade zones. Sources in the know said most of the scrap yards in the towns and Margao operating sans permissions, their operations are illegal in nature. The authorities, including the district authorities, have been found wanting in initiating action, citing government’s delay in setting up the trade zones.
The tragic incident at Fatorda, which claimed the life of a young worker a year ago and the fire that engulfed a scrap yard at Sao Jose de Areal seems to have not spurred the authorities to take a re-look at the scrap yard menace.
Herald inquiries with the Goa Industrial Development Corporation revealed that the IDC has so far failed to create the trade zones adjoining the Industrial estate for relocation of the scrap yards. Instead, an IDC official informed that the Corporation has now identified areas within the existing Industrial estates for shifting of the scrap yards. But, the plan is yet to take off till date, officials admitted.
Says city based activist, Laurel Abranches: “We fail to understand why the authorities turn a deaf ear to the pleas of residents to shift the scrap yards away from residential localities. Why the Goa State pollution Control Board, Health, revenue and Municipal officials not conducting inspections of the scrap yards operating in the residential locality”.
Abranches said the authorities have not learnt the lesson of the blast in the scrap yard at Fatorda a year ago.
“The government should either shift them or close them down if they are illegal”, he demanded.
At Sao Jose de Areal village, which plays host to 40 plus scrap yards, the March 5 fire seems to have not spurred the authorities to crack a whip against the units. Sarpanch Julio Monteiro says the panchayat body has not issued any licenses or permissions to new scrap yards during his tenure, but local residents said the concerned authorities should initiate action against the illegal ones.
Says activist Freddy Travasso: “The March 5 fire has not changed the ground reality. There existing 40-odd scrap yards in Sao Jose de Areal. While the new panchayat body has stopped new scrap yards from coming in the village, the authorities seem to have no plan in place to take a call on the illegal scrap yards”.
